Tender is the Knight
by Misura
Summary: Kaistern knows full well there's no such thing as a chance meeting. [KaisternShydeman, KaisternTetheus]
1. Chapter 1

Tender is the knight

x

Warnings/notes: Shydeman/Kai-stern (pseudo-consensual), Kai-stern - Rath, Tetheus - Kai-stern, ooc.

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Knights.

(!) Spoilers for Tetheus' family.

written at 31st october 2005, by Misura, for the livejournalcommunity 30kisses (theme: good night)

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Tetheus knows something is wrong, has known something is wrong from the moment Kai-stern sauntered through the gates of the Palace, perfectly in time to celebrate Mid-Winter and to sip hot chocolate with the Lord and Queen, while chatting about insignificant things like treasures, food and diplomacy, absently returning Rath's hugs and ignoring Rath's ignoring him.

For one thing, Kai-stern is -never- in time for any kind of festivity.

x

Kai-stern managed not to sigh as Lord Delano prattled on about the reception he'd be hosting in honor of the Dragon Lord's representative this evening, and the esteemed persons who were sure to attend, and whom Kai-stern really just -had- to meet.

To give him credit, Kai-stern had to admit that at least Delano treated him like a welcome guest, rather than someone barely better than a spy or, worse, some sort of higher power, capable of solving every problem with a snap of his fingers. Compared to his last two hosts, Delano was downright pleasant.

However, that still didn't make the man any less of a bore. Kai-stern would almost begin to wish that Delano had been some kind of brilliant schemer, only -pretending- to be a witless idiot, to lure Kai-stern into a false sense of security, while Delano's assassins were actually lurking right behind the corner, ready to strike.

"And you will definitely want to talk to Lady Medea; she has the most extraordinary collection of books. Truly, I have never seen anything like it. She - "

They rounded the corner without any assassins popping up. Kai-stern sourly decided that he didn't even had to think of a polite lie to get away from Delano and his guest-list; claiming that his head was killing him would be saying nothing short of the truth.

Delano, of course, oozed sympathy and concern. Would Kai-stern like to have a physician sent for? A nice, cold, refreshing drink, perhaps, or a talented musician who could sing him to sleep? At the very least, surely, he wanted some soft pillows brought to his room, so that he might rest the more comfortable?

Kai-stern succeeded in offering sincere-sounding thanks, while refusing all of the offered and suggesting that he'd doubtlessly feel better this evening, which went a long way to soothing Delano's worries.

x

Rath's behavior is just the slightest bit off, too, Tetheus decides, though he can't quite determine if Rath is simply reacting to the change in Kai-stern, or if it's Rath who's become different, together with Kai-stern.

Kai-stern has been home for four days now. In those four days, Rath has ignored him for a single afternoon; all the other days, he's hung around Kai-stern like a puppy around its master.

Or, maybe, Tetheus can't help but thinking, like a vulture circling a dying man.

x

Delano gave him three whole hours of uninterrupted peace and reasonable quiet, before knocking on his door to offer profound apologies for disturbing him and to inform him that an unexpected guest had arrived, whom Delano was sure Kai-stern would be very interested in meeting.

Given the choice between finishing a report for Alfeegi and meeting this mysterious guest of Delano's, Kai-stern was quick enough to put off the report to a later point in time, assuring Delano that he had not incurred the wrath of the Dragon Lord by keeping his envoy from completing a letter - Alfeegi's wrath, obviously, was another matter altogether, but then again, Alfeegi tended to prefer directing his anger at the nearest available target, so Kai-stern saw no reason to add to Delano's worries.

Allowing Delano to convince him that the traces of cream on the floor of the Hall had -not- been caused by the special cake that Delano had ordered weeks ago by some famous baker -a cake that would decorate the center of the room in which the reception was to be held and that had definitely not been dropped by some careless servant, no, milord- Kai-stern successfully kept his hopes regarding Delano's special guest low.

In all likeliness, it would turn out to be just another Lady who created the cutest paintings (Delano's words, not Kai-stern's), or some Lord who had managed to bred the fastest horses Delano had ever seen (which didn't mean all that much, considering).

There was no chance whatsoever that the person in question would turn out to be of any interest to Kai-stern, not with Delano practically bubbling with excitement. One of Delano's acquaintances could never be even as much as a tenth as interesting a person to meet as, say -

"My humble keep is greatly honored by the Dragon Lord sending not one, but -two- representatives, to be sure," Delano gushed. "And how fortunate that I had already planned a reception for this very evening! Perfectly in time, so that the two of you may depart again on your mission."

Delano's wink wasn't what Kai-stern would call 'subtle', and he very much doubted if the man had the least idea about Kai-stern's mission. At another time, he might try to find out, and maybe give the man a little extra push in the wrong direction, but for now, he was more curious to see this second representative of Lord Lykouleon's.

He knew Alfeegi hated traveling almost as much as people spending money on buying drinks. As there hadn't been any reports about demons showing up in this area, Rath probably wouldn't have volunteered to come here either, and Thatz and Rune had departed for Kuulta a week before he'd left Draqueen. Ruwalk tended to stick around the Castle -or, more precisely, the Lord. Which left ...

"Tetheus!"

Well. This one guest, at least, wasn't likely to bore him to death with conversations about cattle and the weather. Tetheus might drive him to distraction by being cryptic and mysterious about the way he'd located Kai-stern, or secured a much higher traveling-budget than Kai-stern ever had, but 'boring' was one word that didn't apply to him in the least.

x- to be continued in the second part -x


	2. Chapter 2

Tender is the knight

xx

Warnings/notes: Shydeman/Kai-stern (pseudo-consensual), Kai-stern - Rath, Tetheus - Kai-stern, ooc.

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Knights.

(!) Spoilers for Tetheus' family.

written at 31st october 2005, by Misura, for the livejournalcommunity 30kisses (theme: good night)

xxxxxxxxx

It isn't, Tetheus has discovered, particularly hard to arrange for a 'coincidental' run-in with Kai-stern. Alfeegi seems to have been satisfied with his report, for once -that, or Alfeegi's simply given up on trying to make Kai-stern turn in a report that meets his high standards. (Neither seems very likely, when Tetheus thinks about it, which is why he doesn't.)

However, it's next to impossible to do so while Kai-stern is alone, not accompanied by Rath, or Ruwalk, or one of the dozens of other people who've always been around the Castle, but seem to have never spent any great deal of time with Kai-stern before.

Tetheus wonders if he never just paid all that much attention to Kai-stern. (He knows that he's always been paying attention to Kai-stern, but the alternative, that Kai-stern is avoiding him, seems both illogical and irrational, and thus is something he prefers not to consider.)

x

Seven days after their departure from Delano's keep and extensive guest-list, Kai-stern began to feel the tiniest bit of doubt. Tetheus being Tetheus, he was reasonably sure that his claimed reason for being here -to protect Kai-stern against some demon-assassin- was at least based on something approaching the truth, only Kai-stern knew as well as any diplomat that 'truth' was something easily stretched.

Added to the fact that none of Kai-stern's sources had even hinted at the possibility of his having drawn enough to attention to make him an even bigger target for demons than he already was by being the Blue Dragon Officer, this could only mean that Tetheus wasn't here solely to watch over Kai-stern.

Lord Lykouleon, of course, would have to be aware of Tetheus' second -but actually prime- reason for having sought out Kai-stern's company, or else he'd never have provided Tetheus with that oh-so lovely written (and oh-so nonsensical) message for Kai-stern, informing him that he was to heed Tetheus' advice in all matters that concerned security.

It was no secret to the Lord that, of all Officers, Kai-stern got along best with Tetheus. In fact, Kai-stern could remember with reasonable clarity that he'd hinted once or twice that a mission with Tetheus would be his idea of a vacation -provided there weren't too many demons involved. (Just one would be great, really.)

Tetheus' feelings about him had never really come out into the open -until now, that was. Because here Kai-stern was, on a mission that hadn't even required him to draw his sword a single time yet, and here, too, was Tetheus, with some vague cover-story and the Lord's explicit command that he was not to stray from Kai-stern's side for longer than a few hours.

A match-making scheme hatched by Lord Delano might have been less subtle, but not by much.

Kai-stern barely managed to keep a straight face when Tetheus proposed for them to take a room for two in the inn where they'd be staying that night, so that any demon who tried to sneak up on them would have that much of a harder time doing so unnoticed.

x

Ruwalk is nervous, when Tetheus asks him about Kai-stern, because the first thing Kai-stern does upon his return is to report to Lord Lykouleon, and if there's anyone who knows what was said during that verbal report, it's Ruwalk.

Tetheus doesn't even try to beat around the bush; he simply states that Kai-stern has been acting strange, and that he wants to know why.

Ruwalk flinches. Ruwalk fidgets. Ruwalk makes suggestions about nice places to dine in Draqueen.

Tetheus sighs and goes back to following Kai-stern around, waiting for his chance.

x

Kai-stern had seen Tetheus enraged, nervous, frustrated, worried and even, on one memorable occasion, flustered. (Dragon-eyes, it seemed, held a special kind of magic that could make even the most cool-headed Dragon Officer stumble over his tongue while trying to keep the birthday-surprise Lord Lykouleon had planned a secret.)

However, he'd never seen anything quite like Tetheus trying to be romantic. The experience wasn't exactly what he'd call heady, or even seductive, regardless of how attractive Tetheus might be, but, well, 'the opposite of boring' might go a long way to describing it.

Little things that Tetheus had been doing for as long as Kai-stern had known him appeared to have been forgotten. Kai-stern didn't particularly mind, provided Tetheus still remembered how to hold and use his sword -which he did, as half a dozen would-be bandits could bear testimony to.

There were still plenty of receptions to attend, of course, with lords and ladies to flatter, politicians to lie to and be lied to by in return, and inedible food, but with Tetheus around to exchange exasperated looks with and, sometimes, when Kai-stern was sure he'd just explode and say something inexcusable in two seconds, a hand on his shoulder, a quick touch in passing.

Nothing too overt or obvious -it wouldn't do for Kai-stern to reveal himself as unavailable after all- yet enough for Kai-stern to keep from constantly being on the verge of falling apart (which he never did and never would, either, only he sure felt like it far too often) and to become more and more convinced that Tetheus was really only staying with him for one single reason.

Rath, he realized, would no doubt be disappointed to hear about the number of demons he'd encountered (though on the other hand, the fewer demons Kai-stern killed, the more there were left for Rath). Thatz might be pleased with some of the gifts bestowed upon him by several politicians' wives and daughters, even if the home-made cookies would have turned a bit stale by the time he'd returned to the Palace.

All in all, Kai-stern was in an excellent mood when he and Tetheus left the last city that had been on his list, and not just because there'd be no more receptions and politics for a while.

The sun was shining, there was a bottle -or two- of excellent wine in his saddlebags, and he was in the company of someone who wasn't only attractive and intelligent, but who also returned that attraction.

It looked like the coming five days might just become the best of his life.

x- to be concluded in the third part -x


End file.
